Author's Latest Posts

Looking for a Sure Thing
By Atrenta - 08 Aug, 2012 - Comments: 0

By Mike Gianfagna Have you ever walked into a new car showroom and been told by the sales person that all cars were sold “as-is,” with no warranty? I doubt anyone would buy a car at a place like that. High-end cars can have more than 80 distinct electronic control systems on-board, each powered by various SoCs. And each of those SoCs contains many IP blocks sourced from multiple suppliers.... » read more

Whac-A-Mole Anyone?
By Atrenta - 21 Mar, 2012 - Comments: 0

By Mike Gianfagna It started as an arcade game in 1976 (according to Wikipedia), so it’s been around for a while—longer than system-on-chip (SoC) design for sure. It’s essentially a game of futility. A mole pops up and you whack it down with a hammer, only to have another mole pop up elsewhere. Figuratively, you fix one problem and another one pops up. So what does all this have to do wi... » read more

After The Ball Drops
By Atrenta - 14 Dec, 2011 - Comments: 0

Growing up in New York City leaves lasting memories. The coming holiday season evokes some strong ones. The Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center is an example. Christmas always seemed to radiate in all directions from that huge tree perched above the ice skating rink behind Radio City Music Hall. And then there was the ball dropping on New Year’s Eve in Times Square. For the most part, New Yo... » read more

The Evil Doctor
By Atrenta - 28 Jul, 2011 - Comments: 0

I’ve always been a fan of superhero movies. I would say the Terminator series is the last time I really liked Arnold Schwarzenegger. I bet I’m not alone in that opinion. I think it’s terrific when downtrodden bands of X-Men use their strange powers to defeat evil. The summer blockbuster season is in full swing with movies like Green Lantern and Captain America. A good time will be had ... » read more

EDA…Or Something Else?
By Atrenta - 26 May, 2011 - Comments: 0

The Design Automation Conference is almost here. That major focal point for the EDA industry where we gather to explain the present, predict the future, have a bunch of serious meetings and maybe a little fun, too. Some companies will stage an incremental update of their strategy and others will outline a major new strategy. This year, Atrenta will be talking strategy, with some announcement... » read more

Good Times, Good People
By Atrenta - 31 Mar, 2011 - Comments: 0

I lost a long-time friend this past week. He was a member of the EDA community and so I will dedicate this blog to a discussion of the late Dr. Aaron Ashkinazy—the person, his contributions and the process for his work. The person. Aaron had a lot of friends. We’ve all been reminiscing about him this past week and some consistent comments arise. He was one of the most intelligent and kin... » read more

Getting Some Respect
By Atrenta - 18 Nov, 2010 - Comments: 0

He’s a comic legend. The master of the one-liner. I had the good fortune of being in a comedy club in New York City one evening a long time ago when Rodney stopped by to try out a new comedy routine. He simply walked in and took the microphone for 45 minutes. Apparently, he did those impromptu appearances a lot “back in the day”. One of Rodney’s most famous one-liners is “I don't get ... » read more

Should EDA Remain Coin-Operated?
By Atrenta - 21 Oct, 2010 - Comments: 0

The EDA business model has seen a lot of discussion. Perpetual, time-based, pay as you go, EDA cards, etc., etc. The implications of the chosen business model can have dramatic effects on the overall health of the company involved. Changing the business model can cause mighty companies to topple and weak companies to seem strong (at least for a while). Current trends, such as cloud computing, p... » read more

Why The Early Edition Was Late
By Atrenta - 23 Sep, 2010 - Comments: 0

By Mike Gianfagna I was a little late with the Early Edition this month. This is kind of embarrassing given the name. Anyone in EDA sales will understand why. It’s the end of the quarter, about a week to go. I’ve been really, really busy. Many EDA companies will book more than 50% of the quarter’s business in the next week. The bean counters have a name for this phenomenon: the ho... » read more

It’s Late Q3 – Do You Know Where Your Chip Is?
By Atrenta - 26 Aug, 2010 - Comments: 0

By Mike Gianfagna Design complexity is increasing. We all get that. But there are other forces at play that may be more significant. Supply chain complexity is also increasing. Outsourcing and off-shoring continue to rise. There exists a general tendency to surrender the fate of your chip to more people. Overlay this situation with the simple fact that in more and more cases the chip defines t... » read more

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